Former Manchester United manager David Moyes has been accused of attacking a man outside a wine bar.

The Scot, 51, is said to have punched Joshua Gillibrand, 23, three times after being upset by taunts.

But a friend of Moyes – who was sacked by the club last month – insisted he had not hit the man, but simply grabbed him by the lapels.

Alleged victim Joshua has claimed he was knocked to the floor by three blows.

But a friend of Moyes said: “David had a meal with two friends and afterwards, at about 9.30pm, they were both walking past a bar when two lads started giving David abuse about Manchester United.

"David grabbed one of them by his lapels, but didn’t hit him.

“A police car happened to be parked opposite, so they were on the scene very quickly and no one was arrested or cautioned.”

Moyes, who lost his job after just 10 months in charge of the Red Devils, had just finished having a meal with Derek Shaw, formerly chairman of Preston North End, the club Moyes managed from 1998 to 2002, and another male friend.

After leaving Piccolino Italian restaurant in Clitheroe, Lancs, the three men walked across the road to The Emporium wine bar.

There Moyes was recognised by drinkers sitting outside who had been enjoying the warm weather.

The former Everton and Preston manager is believed to have been on the receiving end of foul-mouthed abuse from some of those sat outside and is said to have reacted to the taunts.

Joshua, who is a joiner, claimed he simply asked to shake Moyes’ hand and was stunned when he was punched and knocked to the floor.

After the alleged attack, he made his way home by train to Ribchester, around six miles away, but was later taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

He was yesterday said to be involved in talks with a solicitor.

Hours after the incident, Joshua’s brother Oliver, 24, who drove him to hospital , claimed: “Joshua was in the bar catching up with a friend when they noticed David Moyes there.

“He said, ‘Hello David, what are you doing round here?’ David took offence and told him to f*** off and hit him on the back of the head with a punch which took him to the floor.

“The police were on the scene within a matter of minutes. There were lots of witnesses and CCTV from the bar.

“The police interviewed Joshua at the scene, took a statement and left him to his own devices to make his way to hospital.

"He is concussed, very sick and has some swelling to the back of the head. The Emporium is a very nice place – there’s never any trouble there.”

At the family home, Oliver added: “Joshua said he was hit three times on the head. He said he was attacked from behind.

"It was unprovoked. He ended up on the floor.”

Joshua’s mother Susan, 53, added: “He is all right. He is not so bad. He has got a sore shoulder.

"He has got a bump here [on his head] and he was hit on the shoulder.

"All I know is he has gone out last night with his friends on the train to Clitheroe and he has been hit on the head and knocked to the floor.

“Josh does not even like football so I said ‘Are you sure it is this person?’ I said to him ‘Don’t get into trouble if it is not the right person’.

“I spoke to the police but they said they will not tell me anything until they have spoken to Joshua.”

She said her son had been given medication by staff at the hospital.

“They gave him some tablets and said ‘if you are no better in the morning, come back’,” she said.

Joshua is now back at work.

Susan added: “He has been told not to say anything until he has had his interview with the police.”

A statement from Lancashire Constabulary said: “Police are investigating a report of an assault at the Emporium wine bar in Clitheroe.

“Officers attended the bar at about 10pm on Wednesday and it was reported that a 23-year-old local man had been assaulted by a 51-year-old man. He did not require hospital treatment.

"Inquiries are ongoing and we are speaking to a number of people to try to establish the circumstances.

“There are a number of differing accounts which we need to work through to try to establish exactly what has happened.

"No one has been arrested at this stage.”

A spokeswoman for the Emporium confirmed: “There was an incident outside the building.

“However, it did not affect any of our customers or staff and has been dealt with by the police .”

Moyes endured a disastrous season before he was sacked.

He has since been linked with the manager’s job at Celtic following Neil Lennon’s decision to quit after three seasons in Glasgow.

There was no sign of Moyes at his luxury home in Haighton Green near Preston, Lancs.